" In light of Ignatius' 'Two Standards' and 'The Mystries Done From The Garden To The House Of Annas', at any moment we can be Judas or Peter, a Christian life can be a fine line."

Friday, October 18, 2013

Saint Among Savages

We could say that St. Isaac is the true standard bearer of the faith in a
new land, carrying the banner of Christ into unchartered territory. In
this he followed in the footsteps of Christ himself, laying down himself
in sacrifice out of love for others, even those who despised him, and
in doing so became a pioneer in the truest sense: “Jesus the pioneer and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured
the cross, despising the shame” (Heb 12:2). This deliberate following
of Christ can be seen in a consecration of himself that Jogues made
while still safely within his Huron mission in French Canada. Fr. Francis Talbot, S.J., in his monumental biography of Jogues, Saint among Savages,
recounts this incident: “He begged and demanded of God that he would be
immolated, would be sacrificed as a victim of Divine love. He offered
himself, body, soul, will, mind, memory to God, that God might do with
him as He pleased.” Like the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of
Rights, this prayer ought to be considered one of the foundational
statements of America. This This willingness to endure death at the hands of savage torturers helped birth a new Christian realm in this continent. Interestingly
enough, during his captivity Jogues had a dream in which his ministry
and martyrdom appeared to him as a tour through a large city, built upon
the exact spot as the Mohawk village of his imprisonment. He describes
his first sight of the city as follows: “I had gone out of our village
as I usually did…. When I returned, everything seemed changed. The tall
palings that surrounded our village on all sides were transformed into
very beautiful towers, battlements, and walls…. some savages…came out
and assured me that it truly was our little hamlet.” Entering the first
wall of this city he saw a slain lamb over the gate. Passing through a
second gate he encountered a garrison and was apprehended and brought to
a palace. Outside the gate of the palace Jogues saw many people who
knew from France. He was taken in and judged and punished by the king of
this city in a manner similar to how the Mohawks had tortured him.
Jogues interpreted his judgment of suffering as the price he had to pay
to abide in this city. He does not, however, provide us with an
explanation of the rest of the dream. Could this great city be an image
of the new realm of Christendom which was formed in the continent of
America? What strikes me most about the city is that it combines images
from America, France, and Heaven with Christ as king ruling over all.
The city was placed on the site of the Mohawk village, with the natives
outside of and exiting the outer ring; the second ring that of his
fellow Christians and guarded by angels; and finally the palace, the
seat of Christ. To me it seems that from the palace Christ’s reign would
extend to the outer circle through the mediation of the more interior
one. Thus, we can see Christ’s plan for the extension of his domain,
creating a unity that draws all together, but through the mediation of
Christian suffering.

I don't know of any instance in which saint Isaac Jogues caused harm to any pre-European inhabitants. But he referred to them as "savages", and anyone who read about what they did to him (and to other pre-Europeans!) would have a difficult time arguing the contrary. That does not mean that some Europeans and their successors were or are not savages too. That's why we need Christ's redemption, which saint Isaac tried to bring to Mohawks and Hurons who would accept it. Anonymous II, are you suggesting that he should have discriminated against them and not have told them about the way to salvation?

About Me

I am not a Jesuit, nor am I a cleric. I spent about 5 years under the spiritual direction of a Jesuit, 3 of those years in a weekly directed retreat in everyday life. The profound impact that the Society and the Excercises had upon my life, resulted in me, trying to deal with that impact in some way by sharing my view of Jesus Christ with others. My intention is to pull together Jesuitical and Catholic subjects that interest me. I was born on the feast day of St. Paul Miki, S.J.. I am the father of three small children and an infant, I am married to a great wife.